World · India Bureau
Environmental group demands revocation of Visakhapatnam data centre approvals
Green Visakha, an environmental advocacy organisation, has petitioned authorities to cancel permissions granted for data centre projects in Visakhapatnam, escalating demands made during a recent public rally in the coastal city.
LSN India ·
The environmental group filed formal requests with state and municipal authorities on Tuesday, seeking the revocation of all clearances issued for data centre developments in the Visakhapatnam region. The move follows a mass mobilisation event held the previous day, where activists and residents voiced concerns about the environmental and infrastructural impact of large-scale data centre projects.
Green Visakha cited potential strain on the city's water resources, increased energy consumption, and disruption to existing residential and commercial areas as primary reasons for opposing the projects. The organisation contended that environmental impact assessments conducted for these facilities were inadequate and failed to account for cumulative effects on the region's ecosystem and urban infrastructure.
The group has also called for a comprehensive review of all pending data centre applications in the district. Visakhapatnam, a major port city in Andhra Pradesh, has attracted significant interest from technology and data infrastructure companies in recent years, positioning itself as a potential hub for cloud computing and digital services.
State and municipal officials have not yet issued formal responses to the petition. The matter comes amid broader national debates over balancing technology infrastructure development with environmental protection and urban sustainability concerns in rapidly growing Indian cities.